[0:00]Human Papillomavirus, HPV. You're the most handsome guy in town who always gets invited to all the fun parties and events. And with your reputation as a bad boy, you kiss and make out with at least three different women each night. However, in one of your many escapades, you've also unknowingly made out with a tiny virus called HPV, which basically likes to hang out in the skin and moist areas of the body. So when you go about kissing every Tom, Dick, and Harry, you are essentially sharing and spreading the virus. If you think HPV can only be picked up after a long night of passionate love making, you're in for a surprise. This persistent little virus can lurk on towels, waiting for unsuspecting people like you to dry your face or, well, other places. And then it latches onto your skin, never losing its grip. Think of it like frogs jumping from one green pad to the other, but rather than green pads, your skin is the playground. Now, the first symptom you'll start to notice is tiny pesky warts appearing everywhere, but mostly on your hands, feet, neck, and private parts, looking like little boils. But sometimes you may not even see any symptoms because some HPV strains have no visible signs at all. However, this virus can be deadly. You'll likely get cervical and throat cancer soon enough. Syphilis. This guy's syphilis is probably the OG granddaddy of STDs and it just loves a flare of the dramatic. It always makes its grand introduction with some weird looking rash suddenly appearing around your private parts. You might probably brush the rash off as an allergic reaction, but it would turn into bigger, disgusting looking painless sores over the next few days. Honestly, they look like small pus-filled boils just waiting to burst open. You'd also start noticing a reddish brown rash all over your body, which usually feels very rough. Now, if you visit the hospital at this stage, your doctor would just prescribe penicillin, which can cure syphilis. However, if you decide to wing it and ignore your symptoms, hoping they'd just go away, the disease would just relax and fool you into believing that it has and would remain dormant for years. But in its final act of destruction, it would reappear and head straight into your brain and nervous system. Syphilis is very hard to treat once it gets to this stage because you start to experience confusion, dementia, blindness, paralysis, and then eventually death. Again, seriously, guys, use a condom. Chlamydia. Now, in every class, there's always that quiet kid sitting at the back and causing all kinds of trouble without anybody noticing. This is precisely what chlamydia does. It's like a landmine you wouldn't see coming. Now, this disease targets mostly the reproductive system and would basically just wiggle its way in and head straight out your cervix and urethra during unprotected sexual activity with an infected person. And once it has comfortably settled, it would low-key start to cause all sorts of havoc in your system, sometimes without your knowledge. However, some chlamydia diseases would show symptoms after a couple of weeks. You'll start to notice an unusual discharge from your private parts, like your body just randomly decided to start a mysterious slime factory. Soon, when you go to pee, it'll feel like you're literally peeing out liquid fire and an intense pain in your lower abdomen and swelling around your private parts. The sneaky cheeky diseases would cause severe damage to your pelvis and womb, leading to a whole lot of severe inflammation and scarring in your pelvis. Sadly, your chances of also getting pregnant would be really slim, and even if you beat the odds and managed to get pregnant, the baby would grow outside your womb, which is very risky. As much as this disease tries to put on a tough front, it is easily cured with some antibiotics. Trichomoniasis. It's been a week since you went home with that random guy from the bar after a wild night out, and now you've noticed that your lady bits have gone a little rogue and developed a funny smell like full-on biohazard status. Unknowingly to you, your little friend from the bar had this disease known as Trichomoniasis, rumored to turn your private regions into a war zone. Trichomoniasis, spearheaded by the microscopic bacteria known as Trichomonas vaginalis, is known to camp up in your genitals and disrupt your vaginal balance, causing what you'll come to acknowledge as a reminder not to have unprotected sex with strangers. Smell. When you thought the smell was punishment enough, round two starts with intense itching, burning with every pee break, and a weird discharge that might be green, yellow, or gray. While unprotected sex is the main route for Trichomoniasis to crash the party in your private regions, it's not the only one. Even without strict penetration, this little party animal can spread through direct genital contact too. Not quite the kind of seamless Bluetooth connection you were hoping for, right? Trichomoniasis, being the sly fox that it is, can lurk in your body without throwing up any warning signs, especially for guys, making it easy to spread unknowingly. That's right, an estimated 70% of people with Trichomoniasis have no clue they're even carrying this party favor. So, relying on symptoms alone is a recipe for disaster. Now, if you do catch Trichomoniasis, don't worry because antibiotics are the best weapon of attack. Gonorrhea. This particular bacterial infection has a rather nasty way of toying and causing serious pain to its victims. Unlike most STDs that hit you with all their fury at once, gonorrhea is an egotistical little thing that announces its appearance with a two-stage attack plan. Now, if you were to contract this disease by unfortunately, let's say, having unsafe sexual relations with someone who has it, the very first attack after infection would be the intense, sharp burning pain you'd feel when you try to pee. It would literally feel like a thousand bullet ants are trying to force their way out of your tiny pee hole instead of the actual pee. But this is just the opening act in a horror show your body will put on if you leave gonorrhea untreated. The pain will only escalate, and after a few weeks, the real fun begins. You'll be seeing some odd thick yellow-green discharge like your body is making its own disgusting version of a smoothie. Plus, the smell from the discharge would literally leave you feeling like leaky sewage. If for some absurd reason you decide to leave all these crazy symptoms unchecked, gonorrhea will launch a second round of attacks on your reproductive system, leading to scarring, pelvic inflammation, and even infertility in women. For the man, you'll get something called epididymitis, which would basically cause the tubes attached to your testicles to experience severe swelling and pain. The pain is similar to someone repeatedly hitting your balls with a baseball bat. Luckily, gonorrhea is easily treated with antibiotics like Ceftriaxone. So, if you notice any suspicious symptoms, burning sensation, unusual discharge or pain while peeing, don't be a passive bystander in your health battle. Get tested immediately. Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV. HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, basically attacks all the protection your body has and makes you open and vulnerable to other infections that you'd normally survive. Think of your immune system as your body's army fighting against any invaders and problems. However, HIV enters as a very sneaky spy, slowly infiltrating your defenses and weakening your soldiers. The tricky thing about HIV is that symptoms can take years to show up, or sometimes there might not be any at all. But when it hits, it hits hard. You'll first start to feel very tired and then some swollen pea-sized bumps suddenly appear in your neck, armpit, and groin, making it difficult to move without feeling this throbbing pain. Your body would be so washed down with deep exhaustion that you no longer have the energy to complain about how you feel, eat, or in fact, move. Over time, this can lead to a condition called AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is the elder sister to HIV. And at this stage, your body is basically a defenseless house just catching any stray attack and infection. As much as it's common knowledge that HIV spreads through bodily fluids, it can also get passed around by inanimate objects like a needle or a syringe once used by an infected person. But this doesn't mean you avoid people living with HIV, because you're safe with casual contact like hugging and shaking hands. But if it goes beyond casual contact, always try to remain protected. Hepatitis B and C. Your liver is basically your body's ultimate detox center because it filters out all the dirt and basically acts like a VIP bouncer, tossing out troublemakers at a club. Now, as much as your liver is capable of handling any unwanted visitors, diseases like Hepatitis B and C are very popular party crashers that are very difficult to get rid of. Hepatitis B would announce its presence by making you feel like someone just dropped you in hell, even when you're in the coldest rooms. In addition to feeling like your body is ganging up against you, your joints would also ache so much like you just raced someone to the top of Mount Everest twice. As if that's not enough, this unwelcome tenant also takes over your urine and turns it dark as a cola-colored shade because it's busy breaking down all your red blood cells. However, unlike its loud and proud neighbor over there, Hepatitis C slowly creeps up on you, silently tearing away at your liver and destroying any hope of ever being dragged out. As quiet as it chooses to stay, its symptoms always find a way to give out its location. The constant tiredness is one thing, but the yellowing of your eyes and skin and the sudden drop from a size 16 to 8 are enough warning signs to tell you something is seriously wrong. This happens when your liver has retired and cannot remove waste like bilirubin. So, if left untreated, both viruses could really do damage to the liver by disrupting its operations, leading to long-term issues like cirrhosis, healthy tissues being replaced with scar tissues, or even liver cancer. Both Hepatitis B and C are transmitted through unprotected sex and shared personal items. So, as much as you love your partner, please get your own toothbrush. Herpes simplex virus, HSV. You've had a busy but great day, and as you rush home to catch up on your favorite show, you suddenly stumble and fall down. Looking down, you see what caused your fall, you notice a tiny pothole that just sits there and waits for unsuspecting victims. This is precisely how Herpes simplex virus works. The virus enters your body through direct contact with infected skin or bodily fluids, like during a kiss or sexual activity, and would cleverly infiltrate your nerve cells and set up a hidden base camp. Now, most of the time the virus just chills out in its nerve cell base camp, causing no trouble. But just like that pothole waiting for the right moment to cause chaos, the virus can reactivate under certain conditions like stress, illness, or even sunlight, triggering those familiar cold sores around your mouth or painful itchy genital bumps. Just like how different shapes and sizes of potholes exist, HSV has two types. HSV-1, which is super common with studies suggesting that at least a whopping 67% of people under 50 are infected and spread through the virus. Majorly through kissing. HSV-2 on the other hand is like a hidden pothole on a dark road during a late-night bike ride and is majorly gotten through sexual intercourse, and the consequences can be a real wipeout. Leaving HSV-2 alone untreated can increase your risk of getting or transmitting other sexually transmitted infections. Although HSV isn't curable, antiviral medications like Acyclovir, Famciclovir, and Valacyclovir can significantly reduce outbreaks and make them less severe. Now, if you want to avoid a major health crisis and not fall into any unwanted potholes, then join our Discord channel to get all the latest updates for any sexually transmitted infections that might be lurking in dark alleys. Donovanosis, Granuloma Inguinale. Forget stomach ulcers, have you ever heard of genital ulcers? These painful or painless sores are just one symptom of Donovanosis, an unexpected bacterial guest in your private regions. This little bugger, Klebsiella granulomatis, sets up shop and throws a nasty red bump get-together. These bumps grow, burst open, and become smelly, potentially painful ulcers that make peeing a nightmare. Now, this delightful infection spreads mainly through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has it. So, depending on the action you engage in, these red lumps can appear on your mouth, vagina, vulva, penis, or even your anus. This disease thrives in very hot and humid climate. So before you jet off to shake your groove thang on a yacht, remember the number one rule you had as a child, stranger danger. Make sure you don't keep any unhealthy company, make sure you protect your privates from strangers, wear a condom, and make sure to get tested regularly. Chancroid. If you're thinking Chancroid is a lovely little visitor because of its soft canker nickname, then you're in for the shock of your life. This bacterial infection caused by Haemophilus ducreyi brings the pain, literally. Think of a super angry red volcano erupting on your most private parts with ragged edges like a tigerfish took a not-so-affectionate bite. The first sign of trouble is a single painful ulcer on your genitals that would appear within a week of exposure. Unlike a pimple that just sits there judging you, this bad boy is tender to the touch and makes even a gentle breeze feel like a hurricane. Chancroid loves company. So sometimes you get a whole cluster of these angry ulcers like a get-together just to keep things interesting. Other times it could feel like you have a couple of tennis balls chilling in your groin. Just like catching a bad cold from your significant other, Chancroid spreads through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. So, if your partner's rocking some suspicious bumps, maybe pump the brakes on that intimacy train for a bit. At the hospital, the doctor takes a swab of the ulcer and prescribes some antibiotics like azithromycin and Ceftriaxone. Take them exactly as directed, even if the ulcers start to disappear, you don't want this infection coming back for revenge. Lymphogranuloma Venereum, LGV. It is a cozy Friday night, so you order a Chinese takeout, play a cheesy rom-com on the TV and cuddle up under a blanket. And all seems perfect. Well, not quite, because as you get up to pee, you feel a sharp pain and notice a suspicious blister around your groin. Panic sets in. So you get on Dr. Google and all the signs point toward a sexually transmitted disease. So the next morning, you head straight to the hospital to confirm your suspicion. The doctor runs some tests and confirms you have an infection known as Lymphogranuloma Venereum, LGV. You remember the random boy you hooked up with two weeks ago and think back to how you forgot to use protection. The doctor tells you not to panic because although LGV is a serious sexually transmitted infection, STI, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, it can be treated with antibacterial shots called Doxycycline. However, if you hadn't rushed to the hospital immediately after you noticed the pretty annoying balloons on your genitals, LGV would cause a boatload of unpleasant symptoms like very painful sores, swollen glands, anal pain, constipation, back pain, and pelvic pain, especially in women. You would also feel feverish, tired, and achy. And after a while it would cause more serious complications like fistula, which are unnatural connections between body parts and elephantiasis, which would cause your body parts to grow to an abnormal size. You'll look like Elastigirl from the Incredibles, but with Hulk's legs. Now, how to avoid a similar surprise next time? Regular testing and condoms should be your best friend.